Israeli Strikes Kill Up to Six in Gaza Amid Progress in Ceasefire Talks

Negotiations between mediators and Hamas leaders in Cairo have seen rare progress toward implementing a US-brokered peace plan, sources said on Thursday. The roadmap under discussion involves the decommissioning of all heavy and light weapons in Gaza and the phased transfer of authority to the US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). This plan also calls for increased humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the deployment of an international security force.

A key point of contention remains disarmament. While some sources indicate Hamas has agreed to several contentious points, others report that the group is willing to confine and store heavy weapons under a Palestinian body rather than hand them over to Israel. A diplomat involved in the talks described the roadmap as being based on reciprocal steps instead of trust.

Simultaneously, Israeli strikes killed between four and six Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including two children. Reports from health officials indicate that attacks occurred in locations such as Khan Younis, the Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City. The Israeli military stated that these strikes targeted Hamas militants. Since the current truce took effect, more than 1,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli attacks.

The diplomatic progress occurs while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel intends to expand its control to 70 percent of the enclave; this complicates peace efforts as it contradicts the goal of full Israeli withdrawal mentioned in the peace plan.